Baja Fish Tacos

By Andrew Hunter

The taco phenomenon rages on in L.A. via stands, carts, trucks and taquerias. Carne asada, al pastor and carnitas are all part of Angeleno culture but when I think of Baja, I think of fish tacos.

Baja-style tacos means fish, shrimp, even lobster and must include a cerveza with lime. It’s not uncommon to see folks in a queue snaking around blocks for a bite of something really special. Hot, crispy fish in grilled corn tortillas topped with cool, crisp slaw, lime crema and spicy pico.

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Chickpea Lessons in a Taxicab

By Andrew Hunter

With my travel schedule, I end up in a lot of taxicabs. I’m always curious about the drivers, where they’re from, and if they’re professionals, craftsmen or artists from a faraway place. Since it’s rude to ask such questions directly, I usually engage in conversation and their stories typically come flowing forth.

Meet Kareem, a Palestinian driver in Phoenix. I jumped into his taxi yesterday wearing my chef jacket; Kareem called me “Chef” with a reverence of someone from a fancy hotel background…turns out he once worked for the Ritz-Carlton. I reciprocated by asking respectful questions of him, which evolved into a discussion on mezze platters. I’m working on a mezze concept and so am especially interested.

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Curiosity, Courage and Confidence

Chefs are an odd lot. We have the stamina to work long hours, the courage to experiment and be improvisational, and the creative fuel to cook delicious food every day. Actually, this means we’re more foolhardy than odd, but we all have lots of tricks and techniques we’ve learned over the years that help us in a pinch.

I thought it would be fun to share a few tricks of the trade with you every few weeks ... it’s like a peek behind the kitchen doors. And remember, regardless of a chef’s character, our curiosity, courage and confidence is what separates the good from great. I tell my boys all my secrets, though I think they’re sick of hearing them, so I hope you enjoy!

Salt: Why you’ll only see kosher and sea salts in a respectable kitchen; never iodized.

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American Deli Dinner

By Andrew Hunter

We live in America’s great deli land…sorry New Yorkers, but LA is home to the best American delis. We go to Canter’s, Langer’s, Nate ‘n Al’s, Art’s, Factor’s, Greenblatt’s, Junior’s, you name it. As a result, Ben and Nick are well versed in bagels, bialys, schmears and knishes. Ben especially loves pastrami, but will only eat it at Langer’s, but Canter’s is conveniently located in our neighborhood so this landmark deli often wins out.

I created this deli sandwich for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute last year. Alaska seafood is healthy, delicious, wild and sustainable. It’s become one of our favorite family meals because this sandwich is delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner, especially on a hot day.

It’s served on a poppy onion deli roll spread with a seasoned cream cheese schmear topped with sliced heirloom tomatoes, arugula, red onions and capers. It’s a new kind of deli sandwich. Serve it on your favorite deli roll and add whatever you like.

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City Boy, Country Boy

By Andrew Hunter

Sometimes I wonder how two boys from the same family could choose such different paths in life. This time, I’m not talking about Ben and Nick, but my brother Tony and me.

I live in a densely populated urban center. My view at night is houses and bright lights. Tony lives in a sparsely populated rural sprawl that can’t be found on GPS. His view at night is trees and moon shadows. Tony’s a pharmacist and I’m a chef, but we both love cooking with family and friends in our chosen locales.

He’s the kind of guy who digs a deep hole every Thanksgiving in frozen earth to cook a giant ham with hot rocks buried in dirt. While I prefer stirring Arborio rice and butternut squash together over a giant propane burner from the Chinese hardware store to make creamy risotto.

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